Makenzie Noland, who graduates from Texas A&M University on Friday, August 10, met her alligator friend Big Tex while interning at a local wildlife rescue center called Gator Country. She studied wildlife and fisheries sciences, so she clearly has a love for critters like him. She even holds "feeding shows" where she feeds him in front of people visiting the sanctuary.

"I thought it would make for a great way to highlight what I have done at my internship as well as showing how excited I am for graduating at Texas A&M," she told Teen Vogue. "I do this every day, but this time I was was wearing a dress!"

Tex is the biggest alligator in the country who's been caught alive, Makenzie told KTXS. But that doesn't mean she's afraid of him.

"I call him over, talk all sweet to him, tickle his nose, and reassure him that I'm not going to hurt him," she told BuzzFeed. "I've been bitten by 8-inch hatchlings, which hurt, but never by Tex."

The photos were taken by the center's owner, Arlie Hammonds, who came up with the idea of putting Makenzie's class ring on Tex's nose. "He’s a real sweetheart," he told BuzzFeed. While we never expected to describe an alligator that way, we can see what he means.